John Tesvich was prepared for anything. When low rainfall or hurricanes disrupted his business, the fourth-generation oysterman waited it out by reducing staff until conditions improved. When consumers worried about bacteria present in raw oysters, John’s company invented a unique pasteurization process that made them safe to eat.

But John never anticipated the BP oil spill. The defective oil rig was 41 miles away from him, but 2 months after it blew up it had ruined enough oysters in the Gulf of Mexico to close John’s company. “Nothing is more insidious than this oil spill,” said John at the time. “This thing keeps spewing oil, and nothing can be done about it.”

John’s experience is a reminder that our success depends upon factors beyond our control. We assume that others will act responsibly, but when they don’t we suffer the collateral damage. Careers have ended on the whim of an impetuous boss, office gossip, or disloyal subordinates. Jobs have disappeared in certain countries as a bubble, or bailout in others have led to depressed economies. The fragility of an interconnected society led Solomon to observe that “The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

The haphazard draw of time and chance would be discouraging if it were not for God. Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 informs us that “God has made everything beautiful for its own time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and He is sovereign: “Whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it” (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

Consider the many factors that contribute to your success. Include the benefits of nature, family, and country. Then tell God you know it’s all because of Him.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Jeremiah 38:1-13